This Is How to Flawlessly Apply Your Lipstick

Lipstick is a girl’s best friend. With just one coat, you can change your makeup in the blink of an eye. Whether you’re a fan of liquid lipstick or like to keep it natural with a pale pink shade, it’s usually the last part of your daily makeup routine. Your lipstick will only look as good as your application. If you’re wearing a darker or bolder shade, you want to be careful to make sure you don’t end up making your lips look lopsided. If you overline your lips too much, you could end up making them appear too superficial.
You don’t have to be a professional makeup artist to know how to properly apply your lipstick. We’ve rounded up the top tips and tricks for how to flawlessly apply your lipstick every time.

Start by Exfoliating Your Lips

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Before you can even think of choosing your lipstick colour, you want to smoothen your lips by using an exfoliator. It’s natural for your lips to become dry and flaky as the seasons change, especially if you suffer from dry skin. The first step to your lip application is to use an exfoliator, like a scrub, to remove any dry skin from your lips. You can follow it up with a lip balm to hydrate your lips and leave them plump and hydrated.
After you’ve exfoliated and hydrated your lips, you want to leave them to sit for a few minutes before going to the next step. You can use this time to apply other aspect of your makeup routine.

If Needed, Colour Correct Your Lips

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If your lips have a darker pigmentation, you might struggle to have some lipstick colours show up. Instead of being limited by the colours you can use, there is an easy solution. You can colour correct your lips by applying a lighter foundation or powder to your lips to mute their colour.
You can’t do this step without exfoliating beforehand, as otherwise the powder will seep into the cracks of your lips. When you have a lighter base to work with, you can apply any lipstick colour to your lips.

Outline Your Lips

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Whether you want to make your lips appear larger or achieve a more even application, you’ll need to trace and fill in your lips with a lip liner. You can use one that matches the colour of your lipstick, or one that is a few shades lighter than your lipstick for added definition.
Your liner should be used around the edge of your lips, as well as to fill your lips. You’ll want to keep your lip liner on hand when you’re applying your lipstick, as you can use it again to clean the edges and give you a more precise shape to your look.
If you want a more natural look – like a stain – you can skip the eye liner step and instead apply your lipstick colour with your fingertips. You don’t need to worry about being too precise with this step, as you can always go back in with a concealer and brush to clean up any mistakes and perfect your lips.

Work with the Shape of Your Lips – Not Against It

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You want to consider the shape of your lips when you’re applying your lipstick. Whether you have thin or full lips will determine the best way for you to get a flawless finish.
• For thinner lips, you can overdraw with a lip liner that is the same shade as your lipstick. You can go a little bit higher than your natural lip line to give the illusion of fuller lips. You want to make sure you carry this new shape around your lips, lifting your cupid’s bow to the same height as the rest of your line. You want to avoid the temptation to overdraw the corners of your lips. You can finish off your look with a matching lipstick colour, or one that is a shade lighter than your natural lip colour.
• With fuller lips, you want to use a medium or dark lip liner, choosing a lipstick that is a shade or two darker than your natural lip colour. As you already have full lips, you want to avoid overdrawing them. If you want to make your lips appear smaller, you can use a darker colour, while a lighter lipstick shade will make your lips look larger again.

Work from The Centre Outwards

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When you’re applying your lipstick, you want to work from the middle of your lips outwards. You should have the most pigment on the centre of your lips, which are also the fullest part. By concentrating here, you have more control over your application and can avoid messing up your lip shape.
If you find it difficult to create an even shape for your lips, the best solution is to start by creating an X on the cupid’s bow, using your lip liner. This method will give you a more defined cupid’s bow, making it easier to apply the rest of your lip liner around your outer line.

You Can Use a Lip Brush for Extra Precision

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If you struggle to get your lipstick to apply flawlessly, you can use a lip brush to give you extra control and a more precise line. Not everyone can master the art of using a liner and lipstick. If you’re a beginner, a lip brush can make all the difference. Your lip brush can also give you a more even application. If you still make a mistake with your lip brush, you can go in with a concealer and a flat brush to cover up any mistakes and to give you a smooth outer line.

Don’t Forget to Blot

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Once you’ve got your lips flawlessly applied, you want to make sure they don’t smudge. The best way to do this is by blotting your lips. Take a tissue and gently squeeze your lips over it. This process will remove any excess products that might smudge on your lips. You want to repeat this process until you’ve covered all of your lips – including the corners! If you’re using a bolder colour like red, you can go in with a translucent powder to help set the lipstick and prevent it smudging or moving throughout the day.

Bonus Tips: Liquid Lipsticks

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Our tips and tricks have so far all been for a traditional lip liner and lipstick combination. While this is what most people use, liquid lipsticks are becoming increasingly popular due to their smudge-proof formulas.
What makes a liquid lipstick application different is that they apply like a lip gloss, taking longer for them to set. Once you’ve got the hand of normal lipstick application, you can upgrade to a liquid lipstick. The process is still relatively the same, but you want to focus on exfoliating and moisturizing your lips.
The difference is that you want to blot and remove any excess lip balm or moisturiser that hasn’t set into your lips. Liquid lipsticks can cause your lips to become dehydrated, so you want to make sure you use a lip balm beforehand. Using too much of a hydrating product you make it more difficult to apply your liquid lipstick, which might run off your lips or smudge if your lips are too greasy.
When you’re applying a liquid lipstick, you want to focus on creating a crisp line. It can help make your liquid lipstick stand out, especially if you choose a bolder colour. Most liquid lipsticks come with a doe-foot applicator, which makes it easier to guide the colour across your lips.
For liquid lipsticks, you want to do the opposite of a traditional stick lipstick. Work from the outside of your lips first before filling in the centre. Take off any excess from the doe-foot applicator before applying it to your lips, as you want to use a thin and even coat. It’s better to work with fewer layers, as too much product can cause your lips to become flaky.
If you apply too much of your liquid lipstick, or go outside the lines of your lips, you can go in with a concealer to fix up the line. For a crisper finish, you can go in with a lip liner first to give you a guideline for where to apply your liquid lipstick.
Just like your traditional lipstick, you want to make sure to bot your liquid lipstick to avoid it smudging. Once your liquid lipstick has set, you should be able to enjoy wearing your colour for the rest of the day.
One thing worth noting is that a liquid lipstick can be harder to remove at the end of the day. You can use an oil-based makeup remover to help dissolve the pigment and remove the colour without dehydrating your lips.

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What is your favourite method for applying lipstick? Do you prefer a traditional lipstick or are you a fan of liquid lipstick? Let us know in the comments below!

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